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WoW Patch 3.1.0 Goes Live Today

Blizzard's first big content patch since the launch of Wrath of the Lich King hits today.

It's a big day for World of Warcraft gamers in North America and Europe. Blizzard is preparing for extended downtime as it makes available patch 3.1.0 (aka Secrets of Ulduar), which represents the first large content update for the game since the launch of Wrath of the Lich King at the end of 2008. This patch brings many changes and tweaks to the game, but primarily it adds in the second proper raid instance to the Lich King content.

Some of the big notable additions in 3.1.0 are as follows:

Due to significant talent tree revisions, all players will have their talent points reimbursed. Several new spells and abilities have been added for select classes. Players will need to visit their class trainer to learn new spells.

The Argent Tournament, a permanent in-game event, has come to Icecrown. Players interested in taking part in this event should visit the Argent Pavilion located on the west side of the tournament grounds. Features include:

All Ground Mounts may now swim without dismounting the rider. Flying Mounts still may NOT, and will dismount the rider upon entering water.

Players level 40 and higher will now be able to visit their trainer to pay a one-time fee and access the dual talent specialization feature.

Secrets of Ulduar will also introduce the new tier 8 armor sets and season 6 arena gear along with a truly massive list of PvP, class, race and tradeskill changes and tweaks. U.S. realms are expected to be live at 11 a.m. PST. Full patch notes can be enjoyed at your liesure here.

This frosty gent is soon to be the target of a few million epic-hunting nerds.

Bryn says: Along with succulent clam meat now being 100 percent more succulent, my number-one priority with patch 3.1.0 is finding out what Blizzard's done to create a new "ultra high-end" video setting. Apparently, it brings higher-resolution texturing to all of the Northrend armor, so characters will look much prettier. Cool.